Hart and Friar Inc
by Shaye1106
Summary: Their game. Their connection. Their lives. Drabbles concerning Lucas and Maya. *Taking Prompts*
1. Chapter 1

_**#74: "Don't let go."**_

College is right around the corner, and for the first time, the six friends will be separated for more than just a few classes. Maya and Riley are going to NYU; Farkle and Smackle are going to Yale. Zay is going to the University of Dallas and Lucas is going to UT Austin. But it's not until after her friends board their planes and she's back at the bay window with Riley that she realizes just how life changing this moment is. The one thing they managed to avoid in high school, is the only thing that can now propel them further in life- splitting up and attending their colleges of choice is their next step. She just wishes it didn't have to be without one another.

"Do you think we'll be okay?" Riley turns to ask Maya, fiddling with her thumbs.

"I hope so," she says. She wants them to get better, to do better. She knows her friends need to find their passion and that can't all happen right in New York.

"But we're still here."

"Always." Maya lifts up her hand. "Ring power."

"Thunder."

"Lighting." Maya grasps Riley's hands. "A little scared." It's funny how things can stay the same, even when the world they created is falling apart.

She keeps in touch with all of them. Farkle informs her of the latest scientific discovery while she absentmindedly paints her nails. Smackle talks about her classes and the new restaurant her and Farkle tried last week. Zay gives her music suggestions and Lucas...well, her and Lucas talk the most. They see each other in video calls and he tells her about the struggles of being a pre-vet major. She shows him her latest masterpieces and tells him how much she is enjoying her latest English class.

Yet, more often than not, their conversations turn deeper. "My dad is being relocated," Lucas says after being particularly distant during the first hour of their conversation. Maya breathes in, letting out a deep breath. "I know it doesn't really help, but I'm sorry. I'll keep him in my prayers." She doesn't think it's enough, but to him it means more than he can say.

"Sometimes I wish I could just turn myself off." Maya's laying on her bed, staring up at the ceiling, silent tears running down her face. "Forget Maya Hart and just become someone else."

Lucas holds his cell a little tighter. "We all need a little Maya Hart in our lives." His heart is pained at her admission and the fact that he knows she's crying. "I, for one, need a lot of her."

This continues for weeks, months, the whole first year of their college experience. "What are you doing here?" Maya asks, completely surprised to see Lucas right in front of her. A smile is creeping onto her face as she pulls him into a tight embrace.

"Semester ended yesterday, remember?" He rubs her back, enjoying the closeness.

"But your internship-" She questions, pulling back slightly.

"It's here." He smiles, moving a lock of hair behind her ear. "I'm spending the summer here."

He leans in, tentatively at first, gauging the waters, although they both know he doesn't have to. They've been unofficially together for so long now- from senior year in high school to this very moment- but it's time for more. She leans up half way to meet him, sighing when his lips brush gently against hers. He tightens the arm wrapped around her waist as she threads her fingers into his air, both enjoying the connection that is so new and yet, so familiar.

"I missed you, Short Stack." He whispers, a hair's breadth away from her lips.

Smiling, Maya nods. "I've missed you too." She nuzzles a little further into his chest. "Don't let go."

"Wasn't planning on it."

 _ **#69: "Why the hell are you bleeding!?"**_

"Hey! I was using that," Maya groans, stepping down from her place on the ladder. "What is with you lately?" She pushes Lucas out of her space and grabs the ladder, ready to move it to the other side of the Christmas tree.

"Maya, let me do that." Lucas takes the ladder, only cringing slightly at her huff of indignance.

"Seriously? What gives, Huckleberry?" She turns him to face her. "Because I'm about one more chivalrous act away from making you sleep on the couch tonight."

Sighing, he rubs her shoulders. "I'm worried about you." She gives him a stare that he knows means business. "Face it. You're eight months pregnant. You really should be taking it easy."

Crossing her arms, Maya further crowds herself into his space. "I'm fine." Poking his chest, she adds, "I'm pregnant, not bedridden. I can move around as much as I want."

"The doctor said-"

"That exercise is good for the delivery." She smirks. "Unless you want to trade places and be a human incubator for the rest of this pregnancy, I suggest you leave me be."

"Understood." He lets his arms fall from her shoulders to her hips, lightly caressing the soft curve of her bump. "I'm just saying that there's a difference between the exercise your OB was talking about and hanging decorations on the wall, with a hammer and nails, while standing on a ladder."

Maya shakes her head, but drops her gaze to the floor shortly after. "I guess it probably wasn't my best idea."

Lucas chuckles. "You're actually admitting it? Wow, I never thought I'd hear you say that." He brushes a lock of hair behind her ear. "Should I get this on camera?"

She hits his shoulder, laughing playfully. Leaning her cheek against his pajama-clad chest, Maya mumbles, "I'm just tired of doing nothing. I'm going crazy here."

He nods, running his fingers through her hair. "I know. I'm sorry you have to deal with all this."

"You should be. It's all your fault."

"Really?"

She chuckles, pulling back to meet his eyes. "You just had to take me to that stupid hoedown."

Exasperated, Lucas leans down to press a kiss to her lips. "Well, that's not what you were saying-" She cuts him off with another kiss, immediately shutting his argument down.

He meets her for another, and another, running his tongue over her lips, before gently letting it explore her mouth. She moans, melting further into his arms. "How about a reenactment?"

"Sounds good to me," he tips his hat, "ma'am."

"And Ranger Rick is back."

He smiles, taking her hands in his. "But you love me."

"That would be true." He brings her fingers to his lips, but stops the gesture as soon as he sees the red trickling down her ring finger. "Why the hell are you bleeding?" He asks, frantically examining the small cut on her finger.

"Didn't we just go over this? I'm-"

"Don't say fine! We need to get a bandaid and some triple antibiotic…"

"Oh, Huckleberry, Huckleberry. You are still such a Huckleberry."

 _ **#97: "I want you and I know you want me too." and #73. "We shouldn't be doing this."**_

"We shouldn't be doing this," Maya says, detaching herself from Lucas' arms. "It isn't right."

Sighing, Lucas reaches out to rub her shoulder, only to be pushed away. "What isn't right?" He asks, already knowing her answer.

"You. Me. Us." Maya runs her fingers through her blonde locks. "We aren't right."

His heart breaking, Lucas takes a deep breath. He knows why this is happening. He knows how Maya feels about their getting together. But he also knows that she is all too often the one who sacrifices her own feelings for those she cares about. "Because of Riley?"

Maya looks up, startled by his bluntness. "No, Riley would never-"

"Not that she did something." He takes a step toward her. "Do you feel like you're doing something to her by being with me?"

"We're not technically together," Maya points out.

Lucas shakes his head. "We could be."

"We can't."

"Riley and I dated years ago. Her and Farkle are together now. She won't be upset with you." He says the words he knows she needs to hear. Unfortunately, he's not sure if they'll ever get through. But that won't stop him; he'll say it a hundred more times if it will make Maya happy.

She looks down at her hand, sniffling slightly. "Doesn't matter."

"Why doesn't it matter?"

Looking into his eyes, Maya raises her voice. "We'll never work. Let's stay friends. We'll always be friends. We'll never leave-" Her voice is panicked now, rising in octaves. He can hear the fear behind her words and even without seeing her eyes he knows the pain that resides there. Leave before you gets hurt. Run before people get too close and you become too vulnerable.

"I'm not going to leave."

"I know. That's why we have to stay-"

"No, Maya." He lifts up her chin. "Even if we become a couple, I'm not going to leave. No matter what happens."

"You say that now, but...people always say that."

"Then, I'll keep saying it until you believe me."

"Why?"

He chuckles. "Why do you think we keep ending up together? Why do our hands catch each others? Why do our lips seem to do most of the talking?" She blushes, the tinge reaching high on her cheeks. "Because you're the person I think about a million times a day. You make me smile when I feel like fighting. My day is so much better when I have you in it." He leans down to press a tender kiss to her forehead. "I want you and I know you want me too." He turns around, making his way to the door. "I really care about you." He opens her apartment door, giving Maya a parting smile. "So I'm not giving up."

 ** _#76. "I need you to pretend we're dating…" and #78. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have kissed you."_**

"So, how are you?" Lucas drawls, leaning up against the locker next to hers.

Squinting her eyes and turning toward him, Maya asks, "What do you want, cowboy?"

"I'm just asking you about your day. Being a good friend." He gives her a tiny smile that she knows means trouble. "A friend who also happens to need a favor."

"No." She slams her locker door shut.

"You haven't even heard it yet!"

"Don't have to." She places her hands on her hips. "It's written all over your face."

Lucas sighs. "Can you just," he pauses, "hear me out?"

"I have a feeling you'll tell me no matter what I say, so let's skip to the favor." She adjusts her shoulder bag, waiting for him to answer.

"I need you to pretend we're dating…" he trails off, cowering at her raised eyebrow.

"Excuse me?" She backs up, putting some distance between them. "You want me too...with you…"

"Starting now," he adds.

"Why?" She looks frustrated, angry, scared?, hopeful?. He shakes his head to clear the thought from his head. "Whaddya do, Huckleberry?"

"Cassie asked if I would go with her to a concert this weekend. I didn't want to hurt her feelings and I didn't want to have to go, so I may have told her that I was dating someone."

"Me?"

He shuffles his feet. "Just someone."

"So why do I have to do it?" She's smirking, curious to see how he tries to get out of this one.

"Well," he looks down at the ground. "Riley's dating Farkle. Isadora is dating Zay. The whole school knows that."

"And the school doesn't know that we're just friends?"

He chuckles. "Actually, a lot of people think we're more than friends." He lowers his voice. "By the way, we're technically in the running for best couple again."

Maya throws up her hands, nearly growling. "Can't people mind their own business?"

"Apparently not." He takes her hands. "But back to the point."

"Fine," she sighs. Then, she juts out her hip, pointing her finger at his chest. "But for a price."

"Of course. And what would that be?"

"Unlimited coffee and chimichangas for a week."

"You're going to make me go broke, aren't you?" He groans. "Fine. Deal."

"Yes!" She smirks, gloating in triumph.

"There she is," he says, nodding over to Cassie. Moving toward Maya, he wraps his arms around her waist, leaning down so that their foreheads meet. "Just pretend like you're happy."

"I know what to do," she snips. She leans back, smiling brightly. "So, we still on for tonight?"

She raises her eyebrow as he hesitates. "Yeah, yes, um..."

Maya chuckles and stands on her toes, moving her lips next to his ear. "You're a terrible liar, Huck."

"Maybe."

"Definitely." She allows her feet to rest, no longer on her tiptoes, tilting her head. He's staring at her in a way that worries her. It's a look so natural and yet, so unfamiliar. "What?"

In lieu of answering, he leans down, pressing a gentle kiss to her lips. They stay connected, each savoring the charade, until he pulls away. Their breathing is shallow, their cheeks flushed, and in that moment it's not an act, it's just them. Regrettably, he pulls away, removing his arms from her waist as Cassie heads in the other direction. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have kissed you."

She shrugs. "It's alright." Taking another breath, she says, "It's all part of game."

 _ **#75. "I'm going for a swim. Do you wanna join me?"**_

"We've been here for three days and haven't done anything fun," Maya complains.

"It's like twenty degrees outside!" Riley turns to face Maya. "Do you want to freeze?" Maya raises her eyebrow. "Okay, well do you want the rest of us to freeze?"

"If it meant getting out of this stupid cabin, then sure." She points to Farkle and Smackle. "Look at them! If they get lost in another science theory, they're going to start muttering to themselves." She moves toward Zay, waving her hand in front of his face. "He's out." She walks back over to Riley. "This is no fun."

"It'll be okay, Maya. We just need to give it some time. The weather is supposed to clear up."

"But the weather is already fine. We all just need to go outside and do something… anything."

"Later. I promise." Riley turns toward the two geniuses. "I'll go check on them."

Maya huffs. She's too bored for this. No one wants to hike or ski or even do something as mundane as going out to collect firewood. "I'm still alive," Lucas says, giving her a short wave. "Not completely crazy yet."

Maya nods. "For now."

"I know. I have officially run out of ways to entertain my mind while we're stuck in here." He smirks. "Want to get out of here?"

"You? You want to leave the little haven of the cabin?" He gives her a look. "Right. It's more like a prison." She shrugs. "What do you have in mind?"

"I'm going for a swim." He chuckles at her amused expression. "Do you wanna join me?"

"Swimming? In twenty degree weather?"

"Are you backing out?" he asks, raising his eyebrows.

Shaking her head at the smirk on his face, she grabs her shoes. "Not a chance."

This is going to be interesting.

 ** _#36. "I wish I could hate you." #54: "I don't hate you. I could never hate you. That's the problem." #87: "You were never just my friend." #61. "I love you. I'm completely and utterly in love with you. Please don't get married." and #59. "Tell me to go and I will, but if you ask me to stay I'll never leave you again."_**

He visits her, ten minutes before her cue, taking her by surprise. "You okay there, Ranger Rick?" Maya chuckles at his disheveled appearance. She turns to the vanity to touch up her nearly-perfect makeup. "Riley did a great job." She dabs at her cheeks. "I had no idea what kind of look she had planned." Noting his silence, Maya grins, feeling confident. "A little dazed, Huckleberry?" She glances over her shoulder, only to see her favorite cowboy looking like a kicked puppy. "Lucas?"

"I was just thinking." He shakes his head. "I wanted to see you one last time."

Maya scoffs. "I'm getting married. I'm not dying."

"One more time as a Hart instead of a Matthews," he clarifies.

Maya squints her eyes. "What's that supposed to mean? I'll still be the same Maya that I've always been." She throws her makeup brush onto the counter. "I know it was a lot to ask you to come to the wedding, but - well, I want you here."

"No, it wasn't too much. You had the right to ask."

Maya drops her gaze, breathing heavily. "I just don't want you to hate me." She fiddles with the engagement ring on her finger. "We've always been friends. I never want to lose that."

"We haven't." He steels his gaze. "We aren't."

At his words, Maya looks up with so much hurt, so much sadness, so much...regret in her eyes. "What?"

"You were never just my friend." His shoulders slump.

"Yes, I-"

"Not to me. I wanted to be with you - to spend time with you - since the day I met you on the subway. And then for the longest time, I didn't think you liked me back. I thought I was supposed to be Riley's prince, not your boyfriend. So, I convinced myself that you and I were only friends." He steps forward, noting with pain that she takes another step back. "Then when I found out I was going to have a chance with you-" He throws up his hands in defeat. "I never wanted us to end."

"But we did. We barely even started."

"It was always there," Lucas says. "And when we broke up, I was devastated. I wish I could hate you." He takes in another shuddering breath. "That's not going to happen though."

"You don't hate me?" She asks. "I was always worried that, even when we started talking again, you...you would wake up one day and realize you hated me."

He takes another step closer. She doesn't move back. "I don't hate you. I could never hate you. That's the problem." Another step. "I just, I love you. I am completely and utterly in love with you." He tilts up her chin, trying to wipe the tears from her face. "I'm a mess without you. We're meant to be." Staring into her eyes, he says, "This is the one thing I can say that I'm sure of. You and me. Like always." He rubs his thumbs across her perfectly-contoured cheeks. "Please don't get married."

Her arms, which have been limp at her sides, suddenly clench. "Now? You choose to do this now? After every day we've spent together. After I started seeing Josh. After I told you I was engaged?" She pushes his chest, causing him to take a few steps back. "And I'm getting married. Today. I am marrying Josh."

Lucas reaches for her hand, only to be brushed away. "But do you love him?" A tear finally escapes his eye. "Does he love you the way that I love you?"

"How dare you-"

"I'm sure you guys have strong feelings for each other. I'm sure he's said it to you a million times. But are you in love?"

"How is that any different?"

"It's completely different! I could tell you that sitting with you, even if we're doing nothing, is my favorite time of day. I want you to be happy and not only mostly happy - I want you to be completely, wonderfully happy every day. I trust you and I want to take care of you." He grabs her hand, now successful. "You're the best part of my life. And I think we're a million times better together than we are apart." He lifts up her hand, placing a delicate kiss to her knuckles. "Please, tell me to go and I will, but if you ask me to stay I'll never leave you again."

She's quiet. Too quiet. He can't tell if she's angry or sad; he can't read her mind and she's shielding her eyes. He is lost. Finally, she speaks. "You were never the one to leave." She moves to sit on the plush of her vanity chair.

"I did leave. I left when you said it was over. I didn't fight hard enough." He snickers, "I guess I always thought we would find our way back."

"I'm getting married," she repeats; she has nothing else left to say. Each argument dies on her tongue as she considers all Lucas has said.

"But is it what you want? Will it make you happy?" Lucas sighs. "If it will, I'll be happy for you - I'll have to be. All I've ever wanted is for you to be happy."

"I know that."

He smiles. "I always hoped you did." Walking back to the door and preparing to turn the knob, Lucas says, "I'm so sorry for hurting you. I never wanted to be that guy. I never wanted to hurt you."

She looks up, her eyes a little less lost than they were a few minutes ago. "I know." She watches him open the door. "Lucas?"

"Yes?" He stops, meeting her gaze once more.

"Is that what love is?" She picks at her manicured nails. "Trust and protection and wanting the other person to always be happy?"

"I think that's most of it."

She lets out a breath. "I'm scared."

He nods. "I know."

"No, you don't." She stands up. "I think I've got it all wrong. I think I've messed everything up." She moves closer, gently pulling him back in and shutting the door. "What do you do when everything you thought about the world suddenly changes?"

He wrangles her into a tight hug. With his arms wrapped around his waist, and his lips next to her ear, Lucas whispers, "You look to your friends." She gives a tiny smile at the sound of her own advice. "You'll get up again. Life will move on. You'll make new memories and new mistakes." He pulls back, just enough to see her eyes. "But we'll all be right behind you." He moves a rogue curl behind her ear. "I'll always be right here."

"I don't want to be scared anymore."

"I know."

"Sometimes you scare me." She places her hands on his chest. "You've always scared me."

He sighs, a wisp of a frown on his mouth. He doesn't want to hear her say it, that they're old news and too much drama. However, he knows that he'll do whatever she asks. Because he loves her. Isn't that what love is?

"But maybe, sometimes, being scared is a good thing." She chances a glance at the storm raging in his emerald eyes. "It means I have hope. I have something to lose." She moves to wrap her arms around his waist. "That's why I shouldn't have left you. You give me hope."

"Are you saying?"

"I run when I get scared. But I think you already know that." He gives a tiny nod. "Don't let me do that again."

"Really?"

"Yeah. That's not exactly a great way to live." She shakes her head. "I don't want to settle for less so that I never get hurt. You taught me that, just now actually."

"What happens next?"

"I don't know." She wipes the remaining tears from her cheeks. "Probably a lot of apologies." She grabs his hand. "You'll be right next to me, though."

"The whole time."

"Forever?"

"And always."

 _ **#57: "Teach me to fight."**_

"Teach me how to fight."

Lucas turns to Maya, quite surprised by her sudden proposal. "What?"

"You're strong as a horse? Teach me how to fight." She picks up her turkey sandwich, taking a bite. "Today, after school."

"Any reason why?" Lucas asks, walking over to throw his trash away before sitting back down at the outdoor lunch table.

"Yes, Huckleberry." Maya motions to the city surrounding them. "We live in New York. Self-defense isn't a bad thing to learn." She smirks at him. "Is this gonna be a problem?"

"No, no problem at all, Penelope."

Glaring at the use of her middle name, which is still a bit of a sore spot, Maya says, "Okay, Ranger Rick." Then, taking her half-eaten sandwich with her, Maya gets up and gives a small wave. "Have to finish an art piece."

Lucas waves until she re-enters the building, then groans slightly, dropping his head in his hands. Yes, this is going to a problem. Looks like Maya 1, Lucas 0, and the day is only just beginning.

She shows up in a tank top and a pair of her short-shorts, chuckling at Lucas' obvious stare. He knows what she's doing- it's their game. When she finally brings her eyes to his choice of apparel, she sees that he's wearing shorts and a top that looks way too good and a little too form fitting to be just a regular t-shirt. She knows what he's doing too- it's their game.

"Ready?" Lucas asks, a devilish gleam in his eyes.

"Of course."

"Well, let's warm up. One hundred jumping jacks, twenty-five pushups, and fifty crunches." He gestures to the mat in front of them. "Is that gonna be a problem?"

Her eyebrows shoot up, unimpressed with his play on her words. "No, no problem at all." She begins the warm up, silently cursing him for making this so difficult. Yeah, she could be athletic if she wanted to, but she doesn't really care too much for sports and the exercise jig. But this is their game, so she goes for it.

"Seriously," Maya groans. "Are we ever going to spar?" She lays her head face down on the mat, taking a break from the Superman reps Lucas has her doing. "We've been coming here for like, three weeks, and we haven't fought once."

"It's called conditioning, Maya." Lucas grunts, working through his exercise regimen beside her. "And I've been teaching you the techniques, too."

"Ugh. I want to actually try some of the moves." She sits up and takes a swig of her water.

"Fine." Lucas stands up, grabbing his towel.

"Fine?"

"What, I can't agree with you?" He pulls her into a standing position and brings her farther onto the mat.

"It's just usually not that simple," she says as she tosses her water bottle out of their sparring space.

He smirks, "Give me the best you got." Her reaction is almost immediate: she swings her arm, aiming for his jaw. He catches her easily. She blocks his blow to the abdomen and responds with high kick that is, unfortunately, also useless. "That's the best you got?"

Nearly growling, Maya begins throwing punches, hard and fast. Not making any headway, Maya decides to shake things up a bit. She throws her next punch to the jugular, purposely missing, while hooking her leg between his knees. Using her foot to push him off balance, Maya aims a blow to his stomach.

It's the perfect move and he's toppling to the ground; well, that is until she starts to fall with him- her leg still looped around his. She lands with a heavy plop, right on top of him. "Sorry, Huck," she groans from her position on his chest.

"I'll live. But I'm guessing this isn't the first time you've done this."

Maya shrugs. "Or maybe I just got lucky."

Lucas shakes his head, grinning. "Yeah, not buying it." And suddenly their situation comes into focus, and their predicament seems more than obvious. She's right above his eyes, their mouths millimeters apart, breathing the same air. Lucas reaches up, tucking a loose strand of hair behind Maya's ear. Her breath hitches and suddenly she can feel his intense gaze and the planes of his chest and the beat-beat-beat of his heart. It's too much. Yes, this is a dangerous game they're playing. But neither one is willing to stop.

 _ **Lucaya #71: "Kiss me, quick!"**_

Spotting Lucas in the quad, Maya runs over to him, hooking her fingers in his belt loops.

"Maya, what are you-" Lucas fumbles, instinctively placing his hands at the small of her back.

"Kiss me, quick!" She says, looking over her shoulder.

"What? Why-"

"Huckleberry." She pushes herself further into him and tilts her chin up. "Do you really want to mess with me while my knee is trapped between your legs?" His eyes go wide. "Kiss me."

He leans in fast, deftly catching her lips in a tight embrace. She kisses back in a way that seems far too eager for the confusing situation, peeking her tongue out to run over his lips.

Unfortunately, she pulls away much too quickly, leaving him gasping for breath and a little lightheaded. "Thanks, Bucky." Her breathing is scattered too. She turns to look behind them and grins at the stupefied face of Thomas Golight.

"Who is that kid?"

"Someone in my art class." Maya untangles her arms from Lucas' waist. "He wouldn't leave me alone." She takes a step back. "So I told him I had a boyfriend."

"Me?"

She nods. "But he was still being an asshole so I thought this would shut him up."

Lucas shakes his head, trying to clear the post-kiss haze. "Do you need me to handle him?" He's annoyed- Thomas has it coming- but right now he's feeling more stunned than anything else.

"You picked me?" He repeats.

Maya breathes deeply, fiddling with her hands. "Yeah." She looks down at her feet. "Not a big deal." She turns to walk away, still avoiding his eyes. "Thanks," she mumbles.

And standing there like a lovestruck fool, Lucas whispers to himself, "Yeah, yeah it is a big deal."

 ** _#57: "7 billion people on the planet and I just had to fall in love with you!"_**

"What are you doing?" Lucas scrunches his eyebrows at the scene before him.

"Playing with the hedgehog," she says as she makes a face at the tiny creature.

"I see that." He drops his bag and walks closer. "And why do you have a hedgehog?"

"Because he's cute." Maya holds him up for Lucas to see. Turning her attention to the little guy, she coos "Aren't you? Yes, you are."

Squinting his eyes further, Lucas continues. "Where did you get the hedgehog?"

"The pet store."

"Tell me you did not buy a pet hedgehog." Maya lifts her eyes toward Lucas.

"Okay, I won' tell you," she says, chuckling. Maya sets their new pet on the ground and turns to Lucas, wrapping her arms around his waist. "We talked about getting a pet."

"I know, but-"

"So I went to the pet store, just to look. You know, until I saw Ranger Rick."

"Ranger Rick?" He asks.

"Mhmm."

"Are you seriously naming him that?"

She nods. "I called him that in the store and he responded. So I had to adopt him."

Lucas rolls his eyes in exasperation. "Seven billion people on this planet and I just had to fall in love with you!" He throws his hands up in the air. "Only you would go to the store and come home with a freakin' hedgehog."

"You love me." Maya leans up to peck his lips.

"You drive me crazy," he corrects. "But I still love you." He leans down placing a slower, longer, more tender kiss on her lips.

"He's really ours?"

"Yep." Maya turns toward the animal in question. "Ranger Rick is officially part of the family."

"Can't we name him something else?"

Pulling further back from Lucas' embrace, Maya smirks. "How about Heehaw?"

"Maya."

"Bucky McBoing Boing?"

"I'm not going to win this, am I?"

"Sundance?"

"Welcome to the family, Ranger Rick!"

 ** _Thanks so much for reading! Let me know what you think :)_**


	2. Chapter 2

_**"Is that my shirt?"**_

The first time she wears his shirt, it takes him completely by surprise. She climbs through his window (which she's been doing for a year now) and is soaked to the bone. "What happened, Maya?" He's nervous-she can tell-as he looks her over. He pulls a towel from the hook on his door and wraps it around her shoulders. "You're freezing." She still doesn't speak. He tilts her chin up. "Are you okay?" She avoids his gaze. Sighing, Lucas wraps his arms around her, hugging her close. He hopes this doesn't cross the boundaries she set (he just wants her to be okay). He can hear her shuddering breath and the chill of her skin, but he hangs on and she doesn't fight him. She's crying and she hopes it's masked by the rainwater. She doesn't know why she ended up here. She was walking, running, escaping her father's words. Why did he have to come back?

"Let me get you some tea," Lucas says, pulling away slightly. "And get you something warm to wear." Maya nods and he leaves. Then he sets the kettle on the stove and walks to find some of his mom's older clothes to give to her. He finds a small pajama set (it'll probably still swim on her, but at least it's soft and dry) and goes to add a Sleepy Time tea bag to one of the mugs. Carrying it all back to his room, he stops in his tracks at the sight of Maya.

She's changed out of her wet clothes and is standing in a worn, blue t-shirt that nearly swallows her tiny frame. "Is that my shirt?" He asks, slightly stunned. (He knows that it is.)

She doesn't answer, just takes a deep breath as she lays back on his bed. "I'm really tired. Can I stay here tonight?"

He nods. "Of course." He doesn't know what's happening. He doesn't know why she's here or why she's staying. He doesn't know what this means for them, for their friendship. All he knows is that she is not okay. She needs him and his bed tonight. She needs for him to allow her the safety of his home and his clothes. And, for now, that's all he needs to know.

* * *

Their relationship changes after that. It's like Maya's walls collapsed the night of the storm. They'd been friends for five years. He and Riley had been over for two. She was done pushing him away. Lucas, of course, saw the change immediately. (He's perceptive like that.)

And once they've opened themselves up to being with each other, their relationship progresses quickly. Their first date turns into three dates and three turns into ten. She slips through his window day after day and they talk and relax and just enjoy being together. He tells her about his father and the mess his family has been lately. She tells him about her father and the hope she is still trying to see.

They get their own apartment two years later. They're a family (unofficially) and that is more than either one has ever dreamed of. "Is that my shirt?" Lucas chuckles as Maya comes to sit on his lap.

"Maybe." Her cheeks rouge slightly, but she's not backing down. "Maybe not."

"You're going to take all of my shirts, aren't you?"

She shrugs. "It's been happening for years. Get used to it, Ranger Rick."

He places a kiss to her cheek. "I'll never get used to it." She turns to face him, an eyebrow raised in question. "I'll always be happy to see you in my clothes."

Smiling, she leans in to give him a tender kiss. "Sap." (But she's actually never been happier.)

* * *

It's five years later and a lot has changed. They've had a wedding, a honeymoon, and a beautiful baby girl. They've had fights and make-ups and kitchen disasters. They've had vacations and art exhibits and walks in Central Park.

"Is that my shirt?" Lucas asks, tugging on the blue material from so many years ago. It's worn and there's a little tear on the bottom right, but it still looks stunning on her.

"Nope." Maya shakes her head. He furrows his eyebrows. "It's my shirt." She looks down, then moves her gaze to her husband's eyes. "You gave it to me a long time ago."

"I don't know if 'gave' is the right word." He moves his palms to her cheeks, smoothing his thumbs over the slight blush. "But I guess I've always known, since that night, that it was supposed to be yours."

"Oh, Huckleberry, Huckleberry, you are still such a Huckleberry." She sighs in fake exasperation.

He leans in to kiss her, stopping right before her lips. Whispering, he says, "I love you."

"I love you, too," she says. Closing the distance, she fuses their mouths. Her cracked lips sting at action, but are then soothed by his tongue begging for entrance. She allows him to explore as she melts a little further into his embrace, tangling her fingers in his hair.

They didn't plan this. No, not at all. But it's a little slice of heaven in this cruel and unforgiving world. And, for that, they're forever grateful.

 ** _Thanks for reading :)_**


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